Leviathan was difficult to get through. Way. Too. Long. I'm going to go ahead and spoil the heck out of it here, so if you have more patience for dreary Russian drama than I, please stop reading and go check out this film.
So it started with an hour of frustrating Russian bureaucracy. "We're claiming your land through Russian imminent domain, Kolya." "No, I will fill out forms!" "Haha! You are powerless and impotent in the eyes of the state!" "Oh, yes, you've got me there!"
Then Kolya gets his attorney friend to help and he seems totally cool except he is also powerless in the eyes of the state. He is, however, not impotent as he sleeps with his friend Kolya's wife (oops, not cool) who then kills herself and that gets pinned on Kolya who remains ever powerless and impotent.
The visuals are sometimes beautiful, often gloomy with one shabby chic farmhouse kitchen as your only relief from all that drab Russian utilitarian minimalism. The acting was fine and the amount of vodka consumed was un-fricking-believable! Is it possible they actually drink vodka the way we drink bottled water in California? The pacing of the film was unforgivable. I would gladly cut 40 minutes from it in one afternoon, just ask me.
So what is the title about? Is the Leviathan the corrupt town mayor who is running the charge to steal Kolya's land? No. He has his own demons to serve. Is it the whale skeleton out at the beach that Kolya's son cries near? Nope. That's too on the nose. The final scene reveals the new purpose intended for Kolya's land. It is a monstrous new place of worship for the Russian Orthodox Church, the true beast who serves no master; the real Leviathan! Well, that's sort of clever, right? NO! It stops being clever if it takes you all damn day to get there.
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